UW-Madison chancellor says faculty pay raises are a must

MADISON (WKOW) -- Rebecca Blank has been on the job as UW-Madison's chancellor for three months and if there's one thing she believes has to change, its how little the school pays its professors.

"I understand that many of their pay levels are higher than average pay in Wisconsin. I get the fact that that looks a little strange," said Blank. "But if I don't pay them that, they'll leave. They'll get paid that someplace else."

According to a survey of professors by the American Association of University Professors, Wisconsin's professors are the second-lowest paid in the Big Ten, 73rd among four-year public universities nationwide, and 169th among all schools public and private.

"My main asset is highly educated faculty and staff. And If you look at what's happened in the last 20 to 30 years for highly educated workers, in this economy, not just in this country but around the world, their wages have gone up faster than inflation," said Blank.

On Capitol City Sunday this weekend, Chancellor Blank talks about how that has been a big factor in driving up tuition prices.

"This isn't about what I want to pay them, this is about what I have to pay them," said Blank.

Political reporters Patrick Marley of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Jack Craver of the Capital Times are also on the show this week to discuss Governor Walker's upcoming decision on the Menominee Tribe's proposed casino in Kenosha.

"This would be a Governor, maybe opposing a casino based on criteria that is not considered legitimate under federal law. And that could be a new court case," said Craver.